Prout, stymied by injuries and mired in a sophomore slump after a surprisingly effective NHL stint last season, was recalled from minor-league Springfield yesterday. He will be asked to help fill the sizable hole left by an ankle injury to veteran Fedor Tyutin, who is expected to miss two to three weeks.

“Dalton is a good pro and he knows what he needs to do to get his game to the level it was at last year,” coach Todd Richards said shortly after arriving home from the Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where he served as an assistant for Team USA. “We’re confident he can do it. We know he can play big minutes against big players.”

Prout impressed the Blue Jackets with a breakout spring last season. He made his debut on March 1, never left the lineup and finished the season with a team-high plus-15 rating in 28 games. But an offseason groin surgery kept Prout, 23, out much of training camp. He got off to a slow start this season and was surpassed on the depth chart by David Savard.

Prout was further hampered by back and shoulder injuries. He was sent to Springfield after a stretch last month in which he was a healthy scratch in six of nine games.

“This year didn’t go according to plan, and it has been tough for him,” Springfield coach Brad Larsen said. “His confidence was a little low when he came to us. But since he has been with us, he has steadily gotten better. Is he at the level where he wants to be? Maybe not. But there has been definite improvement.”

Prout has no goals, three assists and a minus-2 rating with 11 penalty minutes in 15 games for Springfield this season. He has no goals, two assists and 33 penalty minutes in 27 games for the Blue Jackets.

“He’s a very strong man, obviously, and a physical presence,” Larsen said. “He needs to be a simple hockey player and stick to the foundations.”

Tyutin played on the top pair with Jack Johnson and was averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time for the Blue Jackets. Tyutin was hurt while playing for Russia in Sochi.

Prout, paired mostly with Tim Erixon in Springfield, was logging heavy minutes at even strength and on the penalty kill unit.

The Blue Jackets might recall another defenseman — perhaps Erixon or Cody Goloubef — before they resume their schedule on Thursday at the New Jersey Devils, although Larsen pointed out that defenseman Frederic St. Denis has been a standout for Springfield, as well.

St. Denis and Goloubef have been the Falcons’ top pair. St. Denis, 28, played 17 NHL games for Montreal during the 2011-12 season. He was signed to a one-year, two-way contract in July.

Sweet, then sour

Richards said his Olympic experience was one of a lifetime despite a fourth-place finish by the Americans.

“It ended on a real sour note and I think it really came down to (a 1-0 semifinal loss to Canada),” Richards said. “But every other aspect was great. I was blown away.”

Richards had never attended an Olympics. He said the venues, housing, food and people exceeded his expectations, and his concerns about security were unfounded. He especially enjoyed the view of the Black Sea from the coaches’ suite provided to the American team.

“We were 50 yards from the water, and it was beautiful,” he said. “The people were so friendly. There’s not one bad thing I can say.”

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